When a fellow member in my book club suggested we read Before the Fallfor our book of the month, I jumped at the opportunity & quickly seconded the notion. Why yes, I did need to read it anyways because it was on my NetGalley eARC TBR list, therefore I already had a copy… Ok, I was killing two birds with one stone, but can you blame me?

The Girls in the Garden is another example of a review request heavily influenced by the beautiful cover. I am a big time sucker for any type of nature (trees, flowers, gardens, jungles, forests, etc.) on a book cover. I just can’t help myself. Would you just look at it?After I quit drooling over the cover, I took a glance at the book description and saw the buzz words “dark secrets,” “devastating mystery,” and “communal garden.” I was sold!

I honestly couldn’t tell you why I requested a review copy of The Wolf Road, as it is WAY outside my reading comfort zone. Was it the cover? Maybe. Was it the thrilling book description? Possibly. For whatever reason, I hit that request button and was approved a copy for review. Later I looked back and wondered what I was thinking? A post-apocalyptic thriller? A survival type story that takes place in the wilderness? Definitely not my typically read…. Despite my reservations, I’m so glad I gave this book a chance! I have no doubt in my mind that this book will be among my top reads of 2017…

I picked up Since She Went Away as part of my Books by the Banks TBR. David Bell attends the BBTB book festival every year as Cincinnati, Ohio is his hometown. Convenient right? Obviously being within an hour away from Cincinnati myself, I had heard of David Bell before, but I just hadn’t gotten around to reading any of his work. The BBTB was the push I needed to finally pick up one of his books. As Since She Went Away was release in June, this was the book that he was promoting at the festival.